The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing hard butter from myristic acid triglyceride as an essential material. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing hard butter of a novel type through a process of interesterifying an oil-and-fat material mixture of about 20 to 40 percent by weight of myristic acid triglyceride and about 60 to 80 percent by weight of a particular vegetable oil or hardened vegetable oil.
Hard butter is usually required to have a melting point that is approximately the temperature of the human body (that is, 32.degree. to 38.degree. C.) and also a suitable hardness at room temperature. Lauric hard butter, produced from coconut oil or palm-kernel oil, has a superior palatability and can be produced through a simple process, so that it has long been used as such. However, its use is limited by the possible generation of a soapy taste caused by the free fatty acids having carbon numbers of not more than 12, which are produced by the hydrolysis. On the other hand, oil-and-fat materials, obtained by hydrogenating a vegetable oil such as soybean oil or corn oil under such a condition that the trans-unsaturated fatty acid triglyceride content increases, or a solvent extract from such oil-and-fat material (commonly referred to as trans hard butter), is used more extensively because it is free from the generation of a soapy taste. However, the palatability and hardening speed of trans hard butter are inferior to lauric hard butter.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel type of hard butter which has good palatability and is free from any soapy taste.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification and claims.